Hammer.



1. c. D'EAGAN.

HAMMER.

APPLlcAmN FILED JUNE 6.1917.

Patented Jan. 21,1919.

v'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,y

A JEFFERSON CLADE DEAGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HAMMER Leanser. f

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. A21, 1919.

'Original application inea November 1a, i916, serial-No'. 130,979. Patent No. 1,233,989, dated Jury 17, 191,7.

` Divided and this application led June 6, 1917. Serial No. 173,116,

1lb all 't/wm t may concer-1n: Be it knownl thatl, JEFFERSON CLAUDE DnAeAN, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and AState of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new'and useful Improvement in Hammers, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description. a

This application is a division of my application 130,979, filed Novemberl, 1916, Vand uponv which application there have been issued Lettersl Patent No.1,233,989, dated July 17,1917. a a i The invention relates to hammers and includesl a hammer head and means for adjusting the hammer head whereby different parts of the head may be selected to strike with. These dierent striking parts of the hammer head are of differing striking effectiveness and may be selectively employed for striking. In one embodiment of the invention these different parts of the hammer head are either of diering degrees of hardness or elasticity or are at unequal distances from the axis of the hammer stem or have both of these characteristics.

The hammer head is rotatably mounted upon the hammer stem and is provided with means whereby it may be held in diierent positions of rotary adjustment.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred embodiment thereof as embodied in an electric hammer action for a musical instrument. In the drawing Figure l illustrates an electric hammer action, the structure being illustrated partially in section and partially in elevation, the circuit of the action being diagrammatically illustrated; Fig. 2 is a side view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 with the hammer head in an alternative adjustment; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the hammer head may be rotatably adjusted upon its stem; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the hammer head co-incident with the axis of the stem, parts being shown in full elevation.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The sound producing element illustrated is in the form of a vibrant bar 1 located in front of a resonator 2. The hammer action includes an electro-magnet 3 Whose armature i carries switching mechanism at 4 for automatically breaking the electric circuit after its establishment by the playing key 5 and after, the hammer head has struck the bar, as will be well understood by those skilled in the art, and as the circuit arrangement forms no part of lmy present invention a detail description thereof will not be required. The hammer action illustrated includes a stem 6 for the hammer head, this stem being carried by the armature 7 or other hammer head actuator@ The stem 6 carries a flange 8 that is fixed thereupon, this flange carrying fingers 9 extending parallel to or longitudinally of the stem, these fingers being on diametrically opposite sides of and substantially equidistant from the stem. The fingers are receivable in holes 10 that may be brought into register therewith and which holes are provided in the harder and larger part of the hammer head 11 that is preferably made of ebony or other hard wood. These holes are also on diametrically opposite sides of and equidistant from the stem, the distance of these holes from the stem being the same as that of the fingers from the stem. The outer or free end of the stem is threaded and receives a nut 12 constituting an adjustable abutment for a coil spring 13 surrounding the stem and which is interposed between the abutment nut 12 and the hammer head portion 11. The portion 11 of the hammer head is movable longitudinally of the stem 6 and. when free of engagement with the fingers 9, is rotatable upon such stem. When the hammer head is moved outwardly against the force of the spring 13 it may be turned a half revolution to bring the openings 10 into new alinement with the hammer head for presenting a new striking surface to the sounding bar, the spring 13 maintaining the hammer head in fixed engagement with the stem by pressing the hammer head against the flange 8 and maintaining the engagement between the fingers 9 and the openings 10. The hammer head has u two striking sides that are diametrically opposite. The striking side 14 is hard, being in one piece with the major part 11 of the wooden hammer head. The striking side of the hammer head diametrically opposite to the striking side 14 is desirably made of a softer material such as a rubber button 15 held'in place by a nail 16 that i'sdriven into the 'wooden part of the hammenhead By the'struoture illustrated and described either striking part 11i-or 15-of -thehammer head may be brought into striking relation tothe.. Vtending longitudinally of the stem, these lfingers being on diametrically opposite sides :offl and substantially equidistant froml 'the stem; Ia-hammer head.rotatablenponfthe stem. .and movable longitudinally thereof,

sound producing bar l and, in the preferred embodiment, the relatively hard and soft -Strikingf parts-"of the'l-hammer head arek at diering .distances from thehammer stem .or aXiS of rotation of thehanimerliead, .the soft side 15 of the hammer'he'ad being'de'eirably slightly closer vte the ,axis ofrotation ,of the I .hammer head thanthe hard' side.v 14.. `The side 1,5. ofthe hammerhead' thue serveeto produce Vsofter tones'- from the,y vibrant.. bar

lnot `only'by.,reasor'l of the softer-inaterial'of Which-it is made. butalso beoauseitis not quite Within the sameelose vrange of the `vibrant haras may be .occupied bythe harder f striking side 14 of the hammer head,.though Vthe invention isnotft'obe thuslimited. In Fig. l .the soft sideilof the..hammer head is4 shown in'striking.relation to the vibrant .baril Whereas in VFig... 2`the hard Side 14..,of

the. hammer. head ie .shown rela.-

tiony to thevibrantbarland lightlymearer thereto.

I Claim hammer-including a-e'tem; a flange upon the stem; lingers upon the flange and eX- ysaid' hammer Vhead having holes on diametrically oppositesidesoiI said stem and-equidistant therefrom, the distaneeofthese .holes from the vStem-,being the same asthat. ofthe ngersrom the stem an abutment on .the

youter end of-thestern anda coil spring-surrounding the stem and which ist-interposed .between said abutment land .the :hammer head, said' hammer head Vhaving two dia ing eiectiveness.

In Wi ness whereof, Ihereunto `subser'ibe Metrically oppoeite :striking sidesof .differ- 

